AG Rayfield: Without the perseverance of ODOJ special agents, this man would have continued to harm children
A Coos County man has been sentenced to more than 162 years in prison, after a jury found he was guilty of nine counts of sexual abuse of five children. The trial involving 53-year-old Dewayne Forrest comes after an investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force.
ICAC received two cyber tips in 2021 about child sexual abuse materials being uploaded to an online storage account connected to a cellular telephone number registered under Forrest’s name. After executing a search warrant, Forrest admitted to ODOJ special agents that he had been previously investigated numerous times for child sex abuse since the 1990s in Coos County but had never been charged.
The agents followed up on the abuse complaints spanning 20 years, and after a thorough investigation, Forrest was charged with Rape, Sodomy, Unlawful Sexual Penetration, Sexual Abuse and Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. All his crimes involved children under the age of 12.
Five victims bravely testified in trial against Forrest and the jury returned a swift verdict of guilty on all counts. He later entered guilty pleas to Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse.
“When our special agents learned this man had previously been investigated for sexually abusing children, they knew there was more to uncover,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. “Because they pushed forward – and because survivors came forward – this predator has been removed from the community for good. Without this investigation, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have continued to harm children.”
On May 2, 2025, Forrest was sentenced to 1,955 months in prison. There is concern that there may be additional victims of Forrest who have not been identified by law enforcement. If you have additional information regarding Forrest, please contact the ICAC task force with the Oregon Department of Justice, at 503-934-2092.